It's time for me to learn how to use the planes I've accumulated (6+). Which wood should I purchase to practice? Now I don't mean which wood is the most difficult. Oak, Alder, Walnut, Mahogony, Maple?
[OP]
Member
It's time for me to learn how to use the planes I've accumulated (6+). Which wood should I purchase to practice? Now I don't mean which wood is the most difficult. Oak, Alder, Walnut, Mahogony, Maple?
Contributor
Of those you have listed, Oak is probably the most difficult, but it will turn on the evenness of the grain. If the grain does not reverse along the length of the wood, then the other 3 would be fine.
Alan Turner
Philadelphia Furniture Workshop
Member
The easiest will be more than likely be the mahogany, as long as the grain isn't crazy. There was a reason that mahogany was shipped up from South America hundreds of years ago, and it's not just because it's beautiful. It really is THAT easy to work with.
"When we build, let us think that we build forever." - Ruskin
Member
Spruce, cedar, Basswood and H. Mahog are the crispest, although mahogany is a bit expensive for practice.Which wood should I purchase to practice?
Best practice I know of is a pair of oars or a couple canoe paddles.
““Perhaps then, you will say, ‘But where can one have a boat like that built today?’ And I will tell you that there are still some honest men who can sharpen a saw, plane, or adze...men (who) live and work in out of the way places, but that is lucky, for they can acquire materials for one third of city prices. Best, some of these gentlemen’s boatshops are in places where nothing but the occasional honk of a wild goose will distract them from their work.” -- L Francis Herreshoff
Member
I don't know where you are, but if you can get CLEAR catalpa from a local sawmill, the stuff is a gem to work with. I pay 1.40/bf for it.
Member
Alder.
It is easily worked like mahogany and walnut and maple and oak but doesn't have the hardness of maple and at least here on the West coast, it can be found for the least money. IME, all the woods you listed take to hand planing very well.....with the caveat that others have already noted.
Tim
on the neverending quest for wood.....
[OP]
Member
I have a pile of cedar from when my father's fence blew down; beautiful 40 year -old wood. But to do oars/paddles I'll need a shave horse. Besides, the only boat I'm close to having is a 1/4 scale Greenland Kayak. (That's a whole 'nother story.)
Tulip Poplar is pretty cheap, not to hard but not real soft. I am thinking I will start with some of it. I am getting tired of plywood and building lumber. If I can ever finish up all my construction work!
I have a few good size poplar that will have to come down for a new septic line. I can just feel my planes gliding through it now. Ohhhh yea I have to have it sawed and let it dry first
Member
Try planing the edge of a piece of plexiglass. When you can get that to come out to suit you some of the other will fall into place.
Learn Mr. Leonard Lee's trick for making a plane cut at a high angle, and a lot of that figured wood will not be the problem it was.
Posting Permissions
Reply With Quote